TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (April 3, 1996)

From: TRKNWS-L <trh@aimnet.com>

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 3 April 1996

[01] Ankara angry at Greek call for an anti-Turkish block

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Highly controversial remarks by Greek Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis that Athens should cooperate with all of Turkey's neighbors for what in effect would amount to an anti-Turkish bloc have elicited angry reactions from Ankara.

Despite these remarks, Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay told Parliament on Tuesday that Turkey was still expecting a positive response from Athens to its recently announced peace initiative aimed at Greece.

"We retain our hope that a new era can be opened in our relations," Gonensay told deputies when presenting his ministry's budget proposal to the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission.

Turkish Defense Minister Oltan Sungurlu, responding to a claim by Arsenis that landing rights had been secured from Syria for Greek fighter jets, characterized this claim on Tuesday as "very serious." Recalling that Greece was also a NATO member, Sungurlu suggested this prevented Athens from such military accords with non-NATO members.

"I hope that this remains just a claim. Greece has nothing to gain by increasing the tension in the Aegean crisis," Sungurlu said.

He was talking to reporters on his return from Tirana, where he attended a meeting of Balkan defense ministers from which Athens stayed away.

Turkish officials indicate they are not prepared to be "baited" by aggressive statements from Greek officials, and add that Turkey will continue to wait for a positive response from Athens to the ground-breaking peace initiative announced by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz on March 24.

They further note that Arsenis' remarks have also stirred a controversy in Greece, where there is said to be mounting concern over the PASOK government's apparent intention to increase the tension with Turkey.

"This is clearly to do with their domestic affairs and what is being billed as a race between Prime Minister Simitis, a moderate, and Arsenis, a hardliner, for the leadership of PASOK," one official told the Turkish Daily News.

"We still do not have to swallow these remarks but are nevertheless prepared to wait for the official response to Turkey's olive branch," he added, referring to Yilmaz's initiative on March 24.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis is expected to respond officially to that initiative in the coming days.

Tension between the two countries peaked in February and early March this year when they came to the brink of war over possession of the Kardak rocks, uninhabited islets in the Aegean known to the Greek side as Imia.

While a clash was averted with the intervention of the United States, Greece embarked on a campaign of keeping the tension high, principally by blocking Turkey's path in the European Union even at a cost to its own image among its partners.

Prime Minister Yilmaz, on March 24, called for unconditional talks with Greece to sort out problems relating to the Aegean, and opened the path to "third party arbitration" in this context.

He also said Turkey was prepared to sign a "Friendship and Neighborliness Agreement" with Athens and to initiate military confidence-building measures in the Aegean region.

Despite Athens's initial dismissive reaction some influential Greek politicians, such as the honorary leader of the New Democracy Party Constantine Mitsotakis, have said Ankara's offer should be studied for any merit it may have.

What has angered Ankara now are recent remarks by Arsenis, who according to some analysts is pursuing his own political agenda, calling for an "international Hellenic front" to be established against Turkey.

Arsenis also called for the problems between Turkey and its neighbors such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Russia and Bulgaria to be used to establish an anti-Turkish bloc.

Arsenis' remarks, made during an address to university students in Salonika, also contained an admission that Greece had secured landing rights from Syria for its fighter jets to be deployed against Turkey.

Arsenis, during the same address, repeated the claim that Kardak belonged to Greece and that any Greek citizen could go there and any Greek fisherman fish there.

This view was repeated by Arsenis' assistant at the Ministry of Defense during a parliamentary debate.

A written statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday referred to Arsenis' remarks, in which the Greek minister had also claimed that "Kemalism" was expansionist by nature, and calls for efforts to ensure that it was defeated "from within." "(Arsenis) has rejected dialogue which is the initial means of trying to solve international disputes," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

It added that the remarks by Arsenis and his assistant Kouris, "which even some Greek writers have found narrow minded and destructive," would make the settlement of disputes between the two countries "more difficult." The statement also said that the remarks about Kardak, which were out of keeping with the U.S.-mediated decision by the two sides to return to the "status quo ante" concerning the islet, represented "new examples of irresponsibility" on the part of Athens.

"As it turned out a Greek citizen landed on the islet on March 31 immediately after these remarks (in the Greek Parliament) and stayed there for a while, leading to a formal protest on our part," the statement said.

"We invite Greece once again to refrain from such statements and to respond positively to the broad proposals for a settlement put forward by our prime minister," it added.

[02] Refah aims first blow at Coalition's underbelly

TDN Parliament Bureau

ANKARA- Turkey's disgruntled Islamists, kept out of power by the last-minute coalition accord between Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's Motherland Party (ANAP) and the Tansu Ciller's True Path Party (DYP), on Tuesday took the first steps aimed at undermining the center-right partnership, tabling motions for parliamentary inquiry into charges of corruption or irregularities.

Chairman Necmettin Erbakan of the pro-Islamic Welfare Party (RP, or Refah) said his party would ask the Parliament to investigate alleged irregularities in 12 separate fields.

The first motion concerns the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company (TEDAS) where he said gross irregularities were committed in the awarding of 32 government projects which involve a total TL 10 trillion.

He said that gross irregularities had continued in the course of TEDAS tenders despite the relevant Board of Inspectors and the Prime Ministry Board of Supervision reports which should have alerted the authorities.

The chief target of the inquiry motion is Ciller, who headed a coalition partnership with social democrats until the Dec. 24 election.

By bringing charges against her government, the Refah leadership hopes to break the government solidarity between the ANAP and DYP whose leaders have bitterly quarrelled before and after the election until they suddenly buried the hatchet and decided to share power on the basis of rotating premiership.

After Yilmaz completes his first term at the head of the coalition at the end of December, Ciller will take over for the next two years.

Before the secularist center right rivals agreed to govern together, Yilmaz and many ANAP politicians directed strong attacks against Ciller over her family's controversial business interests and assets kept in the United States.

The Democratic Left Party (DSP), keeping the minority government afloat by blocking a no-confidence vote, is also under pledge to combat corruption as well as the attempts to prevent its investigation.

Governments that protect the rentiers

Erbakan also said that the news media supported any government which "protects the rentiers," and that the government in return provided the media with trillions of lira in subsidies.

Even the value-added tax on the imported goods which the newspapers hand out to their readers who collect newspaper coupons, has been lifted. He continued, "Turkey is not being protected by anyone. It is being governed by governments who serve the interests of a handful of interest-earners and other rentiers." He complained that in the authorities could not even present the budget bill to Parliament without first securing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approval.

The plight of the agricultural sector

Seven years ago Turkey was one of the world's seven countries who were self-sufficient, that is, it grew enough food to feed its own population. By now it has been reduced to a state where $3 billion worth of agricultural goods and animal products have to be imported, Erbakan stressed.

Claiming that despite the "mad cow" scare the import of meat and bone powder from Britain has continued, Erbakan said, "The country now has to import sugar too because the sugar beet growers have been reduced to a miserable state."

RP proposals

The RP leader said his party would present three bills to Parliament. If adopted these bills would render the minimum monthly wage tax-free, put an end to the practice of subjecting the traders and artisans to the "provisional-advance tax", and introduce the "moving scales" system under which salaries and wages would go up by as much as the inflation rate.

[03] Turkey calls on EU to 'fulfill its obligations'

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Aware that its peace initiative to Greece failed to achieve a breakthrough in its relations with the European Union, Ankara urged the EU on Tuesday to fulfill its customs union obligations.

"The customs union is a contractual accord of obligations.

Turkey has fulfilled its share. The European Union also has the responsibility to carry out its own obligations," Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay told the Parliament's Plan and Budgeting Commission during a debate on the 1996 budget of his ministry.

Gonensay's remarks come after the European Union, unable to overcome the Greek veto to EU financial assistance for Turkey, postponed an Association Council meeting with Turkey last month.

"Greece's exploitation of its full membership privileges, its attempts to present Turco-Greek differences as a Turco-EU problem and to prevent our cooperation with the EU are irreconcilable with our efforts (to further our relations with the European Union)," Gonensay said.

Turkey will continue to remind the EU that it is the Union's responsibility to overcome and prevent obstacles created by Greece, the minister said.

Gonensay indicated that the upcoming Intergovernmental Conference of the European Union, which excludes Turkey, will be very important to Turkey's relationship with the Western European Union, the defense arm of the Fifteen.

"This is an important opportunity and we will speed up our efforts for the creation of a full membership perspective in the WEU for the NATO members which are not members of the EU," Gonensay said.

Turkey is an associate member of the WEU, but, because it is not a full member of the EU, it cannot become yet a full member to the defense group either.

The foreign minister complained of what he called the unfair criticism of the Council of Europe toward Turkey. "We take constructive criticism seriously, but we will give the reply they deserve to those who make unfair accusations that aim to defame Turkey," he said.

Gonensay did not spare Syria in his criticism. "We hope Syria will show a political will that would enable the ending of a confidence crisis caused by its own attitude," Gonensay said, accusing Syria of ignoring its international obligations to counter terrorism.

"The support given to the terrorism of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by Syria prevents good neighborly relations between Syria and Turkey," Gonensay said. "Neither do Syria's baseless claims that its rights on water are usurped by Turkey and its efforts to bring this non-existent problem to the international platform." Gonensay accused Syria of using terrorism as a way to get its way in the Euphrates water question.

Ankara maintains that Syria gets enough water far more than 500 cubic meters per second which Turkey originally pledged from Euphrates.

The other points of Gonensay's assessment of foreign policy is as follows:

- CFE: Gonensay declared that Turkey fully abided by the obligations put forward by the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), a major arms limitations accord.

"The failure of Russian Federation to carry out its obligations by exceeding the ceilings in the Caucasus... has created disappointment and displeasure in all signatories," Gonensay said. "NATO is trying to solve this through negotiations. Any possible compromise on this matter should be a formula that takes note of Turkey's political priorities and security needs."

- United States: "We will continue to strengthen our relationship with the United States, in line with our understanding of friendship, alliance and enhanced partnership," Gonensay said, adding that the visit of President Suleyman Demirel to the United States had been particularly beneficial.

- Russia: The foreign minister maintained that the problems between Turkey and Russia would be solved "in the process of strengthening ties." "Our potential for cooperation in the fields of trade, tourism, economy and transportation provides a strong base for the improvement of ties," Gonensay said. "We do not think it is right that some circles try to create an impression that there are problems between the two countries." - Former Yugoslavia: Gonensay signalled that Turkey wanted to normalize relations with Belgrade, within the spirit of multilateral cooperation in the Balkans.

Expressing Turkey's firm support for the Bosnian-Croat Federation, the foreign minister stressed the need to achieve military balance along with efforts of disarmament between the Bosnians and the Serbs, if Bosnia was to continue living within its internationally-recognized borders.

- Caucasus: Gonensay said that if Azerbaijan and Armenia could reach an agreement in principle on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Ankara was willing to do its share in the peace process by opening its border post with Armenia. He said that Turkey had opened a new border post with Georgia in order to boost border trade.

- Caspian oil: Gonensay, who has dealt with Caspian oil pipeline project for the last two years as prime minister's adviser, said Turkey will continue to pursue this project.

"Caspian-Mediterranean Oil Pipeline Project has international support, particularly the support of the United States," Gonensay said. "A few months ago, a great step was taken with the acceptance of the double route (through Russia and through Georgia) for early Azeri oil. But the pending question of creating new pipelines for Caspian oil to be exploited in the next 25-30 years ... still awaits a solution." Gonensay said that the Turkish proposal, which would carry an annual 20 million tons of Kazakh oil and 25 million tons of Azeri oil, was the most sound, economic and secure plan.

"We believe that the Baku-Supsa line (to the Georgian Black Sea port of Supsa) is a step toward the establishment of Baku-Ceyhan (the Turkish Mediterranean port) line," Gonensay said.

- Middle East peace process, Iraq, Iran: Gonensay, stressing Turkey's active support for the Middle East peace process, took the opportunity to condemn terrorism as a major obstacle to the process. "In order for the peace process to be successful, all the terrorist activity in the region should be stopped," he said.

Gonensay, mentioning that the PKK terrorists based in northern Iraq posed an important security concern for Turkey, said that the "groups in the region" should not allow the terrorist group to base itself there. "We think that the problems in the region should be solved within the territorial integrity of Iraq," Gonensay said. "Let me stress once more that Turkey is completely against the establishment of a state in northern Iraq or any formula that would prepare the establishment of a state."

- Cyprus: Last but not the least, Gonensay stressed the Turkish support for the U.N.-sponsored talks on the Cyprus question.

"The armament efforts of southern Cyprus is not helping the establishment of a solution," Gonensay said, adding that Turkey would not accept any fait accompli by the Greeks or Greek Cypriots.

Criticizing southern Cyprus' membership bid to the EU, Gonensay said that the island could only become a member in parallel to Turkish membership, after a settlement was reached on the island.

[04] FM urges budget increase to match rise of dollar

ANKARA- Painfully remembering how its 1995 budget lost its real value with the unpredicted rise of the U.S. dollar, Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay asked Parliament's Planning and Budget Commission to formulate a 1996 budget that would match the increase in the dollar's value.

"When our budget was prepared, it was assumed that the average value of one U.S. dollar in 1996 would be TL 62,200," Gonensay, a prestigious professor of economics, told the commission. "But as of March 1996, the value of dollar is more than TL 70,000.

Its further rise is inevitable, which will create further problems in the ministry budget. 92 percent of our expenditure is made in foreign exchange." He said the "unrealistic" calculation of foreign exchange last September had caused the Ministry great difficulty, and asked for an additional TL 4.217 trillion to the budget.

He said the lack of funds had prevented the ministry from obtaining armored vehicles, which were essential for the security of diplomats who had become targets for terrorist organizations.

In 1994, a Turkish diplomat was killed in Athens by the terrorist group November 17.

"We need TL 300 billion for renovating our armored vehicles which have become unusable through age," Gonensay said. He asked for TL 30 billion for providing the security of the three Foreign Ministry buildings and Ankara Palace, the state-owned venue for official receptions and foreign guests.

Gonensay said that the present buildings of the Foreign Ministry were not large enough for the diplomatic staff. The construction of an additional building was begun in 1994 but was stopped when former Prime Minister Tansu Ciller's Austerity Package was launched in April 1994.

"We need TL 226 billion to complete the building," he said, asking for the commission's support to obtain the amount.

In the September budget, the ministry was given a mere TL 41 billion for the construction.

Still another area that needed more funds was the promotion of Turkey abroad, Gonensay said. "In the light of developments in the international arena, the importance of Turkey's promotion and the influence of public opinion is clear," Gonensay said.

Gonensay bitterly complained that the salaries of the Foreign Ministry, in no way compatible with the wages offered by the private sector, failed to attract newcomers to the ministry.

[05] State dept. defends Turkey's right to fight PKK

By Ugur Akinci

Turkish Daily News

WASHINGTON- The U.S. State Department defended Turkey's right to fight the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a letter sent to Rep. Lee Hamilton, an influential Indiana Democrat and an important member of the House International Relations Committee, in response to Hamilton's earlier letter to the State Dept.

Wendy R. Sherman, assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, in her Feb. 29 letter to Hamilton replied to his inquiries about "the possible misuse of United States-origin military equipment by Turkey." "As we consider how best to pursue our objectives in Turkey, it is important to understand just what Turkey is up against," Sherman told Hamilton. "The PKK has stated that its primary goal is to create a separate Kurdish state in part of what is now Turkey. In the course of its operations, the PKK has frequently targeted Turkish-civilians. It has not hesitated to attack Western including American interests. The Turkish government has the right to defend itself militarily from this terrorist threat." Confirming that the United States has "frequently cautioned the Turkish government to exercise care that its legitimate military operations avoid targeting civilians and non-combatants," Sherman also mentioned the role Hizbullah played in "death squad activities in the Southeast." Such killings were down sharply in 1995, she noted, following the capture of "a number of Turkish 'Hizbullah' terrorists." Sherman said there was some improvement in human rights practices and respect for Kurdish cultural rights and freedoms.

As an example she cited Turkey's Supreme Appeals Court decision in October 1995 that "Kurdish former members of the Parliament had not committed crimes when they took their oaths in (the Parliament) the Kurdish language, wore Kurdish colors, and stated that Turkish was a foreign language for them."

She also noted the constitutional amendments of last summer, and the amendment of Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Act on Oct. 27, 1995, as a result of which 130 prisoners were released and many pending cases were Those villagers who were displaced from Southeast were not, however, treated properly, Sherman said. They should be compensated for their losses and be able to return home without fear.

In his letter, Hamilton asked if "the United States supports negotiations between several exiled Turkish Kurdish parliamentarians and the Turkish government." Sherman's answer was unequivocal: The "Kurdistan parliament in exile" is "financed and controlled by the PKK," she said. "We cannot, therefore, advocate negotiations with the so-called parliament."